Because of Cordell Cato’s 18th-minute goal against San Jose Tuesday that provided a 1-0 win over the Earthquakes, the Sounders remain on track to win their fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. MLS play, though, has been a different matter. After starting the season 7-1-1, the Sounders are winless in their past seven league matches (0-4-3), during which the club has extracted just three points.

The last of those MLS matches, a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers, not only resulted in no points, but the loss of Fredy Montero for Saturday’s match at New England. Montero gave a two-handed shove to a Timbers player, which drew a red-card and automatic next-game suspension. Seattle is already missing fellow forward David Estrada, out with a broken foot.

Head coach Sigi Schmid is expected to start Sammy Ochoa in Montero’s place. Ochoa has appeared in four matches this season without making start. He has taken one shot and has no points.

I think we caught a break with Monteros red card, but theyve got so many options that theyll work something out and put a quality side on the field, said Revolution forward Blake Brettschneider. Were going to do our studying and make sure were ready this week in training and hopefully give them a good match on Saturday night.

While Sigi Schmid has stewed in the public prints over his team’s spate of poor play in MLS, New England coach Jay Heaps said the Revolution do not anticipate Seattle’s mediocre results to continue.

To be honest with you, for Seattle, the results just havent gone their way, Heaps said of the Sounders. I think more so in the Portland game, I thought they pushed the game at the end. I thought in the (Sporting) Kansas City game they created a lot. But Seattles a very dangerous team and we have to be prepared for that.

SERIES: Dates to Aug. 20, 2009, when the Sounders suffered a 1-0 home loss. The sides have split six matches. Sounders have taken the past two by identical scores of 2-1. Seattle has 10 goals in the series, New England seven.

LAST MATCH (Sounders, June 26):Cordell Cato scored his first goal to lead Seattle Sounders FC past the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match at Kezar Stadium. Sounders FC advanced to the semifinals where Seattle will host Chivas USA July 10 at Starfire Sports Stadium. Chivas USA scored a stoppage-time winner to beat the Charlotte Eagles, 2-1, to advance. Cato became the youngest player to score for Sounders FC when he struck in the 18th minute. Cato made a run up the right side, took the ball to the end line and, from a difficult angle, slid a powerful shot inside the far post.

Sounders have won three of the last four meetings, after the Revolution won the first two.

The Sounders have allowed the first goal in seven consecutive MLS games, and haven’t won any.

Sounders 7-0-0 when scoring first, 0-5-3 when conceding first.

Sounders 4-0-0 when leading at the half, 0-4-1 when trailing at the half.

Seattle is 2-1-3 in Cascadia Cup play since all three teams entered MLS.

Brad Evans’ appearance against Sporting Kansas City marked his 100th MLS match. Patrick Ianni’s appearance in the same game also marked his 100th MLS match.

Sounders are 2-1-0 in March, 2-0-1 in April, 3-2-2 in May and 0-2-1 in June.

Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso has 19 MLS points in 100 league matches.

SOUNDERS (MLS) LEADERS

Category

Skinny

Starts

Montero 15, Alonso 13, three tied with 12

Goals

Estrada 5, Johnson 5, Montero 4

Assists

Montero 4, Caskey 3, Rosales 3, Fernandez 2

Shots

Montero 70, Johnson 30, Estrada 23, Evans 15

Shots On Goal

Montero 26, Estrada 10, Johnson 7, Evans 6

Fouls Caused

Montero 34, Johnson 20, Alonso 19, Scott 18

Fouls Suffered

Montero 44, Alonso 24, Johnson 18

Offsides

Johnson 17, Montero 7, Estrada 6

Corner Kicks

Rosales 37, Fernandez 16, Caskey 12

Cautions

Montero 4, Johnson 4, Scott 4

Ejections

Hurtado 1, Fernandez 1, Montero 1

COACHES: Sigi Schmidbecame first head coach of Seattle Sounders FC Dec. 16, 2008, and is in his fourth year. Born in Tübingen, Germany, Schmid relocated with his family to the U.S. in 1956, and to Torrance, CA., in 1962. He was a four-year starter at UCLA (1972-75) and graduated with a B.S. degree in economics in 1976.

Schmid later earned a M.A. in business administration from Southern California. A certified public accountant, Schmid coached the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1999 through 2004, winning four major competitions: 2002 MLS Cup, 2002 MLS Supporters Shield, 2001 U.S. Open Cup and the 2001 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He coached the Columbus Crew from 2006-08, winning the MLS Cup in his final season.

In 2009, under Schmid’s direction, the Sounders became the first expansion team to reach the MLS playoffs since the 1998 Chicago Fire. The Sounders also won the U.S. Open Cup in Schmid’s first season. They added their second and third U.S. Open Cup titles in 2010 and 2011.

Jay Heaps: Two years after stepping away from the playing field following his 11-year MLS career, legendary Revs defender Jay Heaps returned as head coach of the Revolution in November 2011.The sixth head coach in club history, Heaps is the second-youngest active head coach in MLS behind D.C. Uniteds Ben Olsen. A Nashua, N.H., native and Longmeadow, Mass., product, he is the first former Revs player to take the clubs reins and the first New England native to coach the club. Heaps anchored the Revolutions defense from 2001 until his retirement at the close of the 2009 season.

COMING UP: The Sounders will play a July 4 match at Real Salt Lake, then return to CenturyLink Field July 7 to host the Colorado Rapids. The Sounders will host Chivas USA July 10 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

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